Haven’t heard of Pyeongchang yet? You will in the next few years as it will host the 2018 Winter Olympics. It’s become a bit of a resort town, known mostly for its skiing. Yet I went there during the summer, and there was plenty to do without all the crowds. Pyeongchang itself is located in Gangwon Province, the most northeastern province in South Korea. It’s been getting a reputation for nature tourism and adventure sports.

You find these stands all around tourist areas of Seoul. It’s fun to watch their routine. It’s called Dragon’s Beard Candy. It’s a treat that originated in China and was loved by the Korean royal court. Since it was associated with the Han artistocracy, the Communisty Chinese government originally worked to eliminate it from Chinese society. This is another example of Korea preserving lost Chinese traditions…

Wrapping up our trip to Andong, we just had to try that famous Andong Hanu beef. I had introduced it to Ben during his first trip to Korea, and he loved the marbling and flavor. We ventured from our overnight stay at Hahoe Village to downtown Andong. While looking for a good place of Hanu, we stumbled upon a shop making little filled cakes in the shape of Hahoe masks. I assumed it was a cheap gimmick, but after trying the raspberry and custard ones, we bought a box. They were good…

This is the second video of our trip to Andong this past spring. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom around the Hahoe Village (Hahoe Maul, pronounced HA-hway). It’s a quaint village that is stuck in time. Actually, they actively preserve this place with help from the government to feel like a Brigadoon from the Chosun dynasty. It reminded me a lot of Rothenberg, the medieval town in Germany…

This is a dish that you don’t see much outside of Korea but is very popular with visitors. It’s called jjimdalk, and it originates from the historic city of Andong. I have seen this appear on menus in the U.S. a little. One restaurant has called it “cola chicken.” I have heard that some places do use cola in their sauce, but I have no proof.